Ventilating device for a water closet



QQ- 1957 H. M. FITZGERALD 2,817,099

VENTILATING DEVICE FOR A WATER CLOSET Filed Sept. 17, 1956 *2 Sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. me w M. nrzssm a yra/5y Dec. 24, 1957 H. M. FITZGERALD 2,817,099

VENTILATING DEVICE FOR A WATER CLOSET I Filed Sept. 17, 1956 Sheets-sheet INVEN TOR. lnkaLo M. FITzGERALD United States Patent C VENTILATING DEVICE FOR A WATER CLOSET Harold M. Fitzgerald, Detroit, Mich.

Application September 17, 1956, Serial No. 610,307

Claims. (Cl. 4215) My improvement pertains to means of withdrawing foul air from the bowl of a water closet while the latter is in use or during a period which, irrespective of the use, may be initiated or terminated by means operated manually. The object of my improvement is to provide mean which are simple in structure but fully practical and reliable. Another object of my improvement is to provide a device which will be entirely independent of the mechanism employed to fiush the bowl. A further object of the improvement is to provide a device which may be easily installed for use in a water closet without the need of any substantial change in the structure of the conventional water closets of the type which is now in general use.

I shall now describe my improvement with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a water closet, including a water tank and a toilet bowl upon which the tank is mounted, the view including a cylinder enclosing operative elements of my device;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l, the view disclosing the above-said operative elements;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of two handles, one of which forms a part of the operative assembly of my device;

Fig. 4 is a view of a member adapted to be actuated by a handle, said handle being operatively connected to other elements of the device.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I shall first refer to the toilet bowl, generally identified by numeral 10. The bowl, which is of the type now generally in use, rests on an integrally-formed pedestal 11 which includes a base 11a. The interior 12 of the bowl opens into a conventional water trap passage 13 which leads to a waste drain 14 over the top of wall 20 defining a portion of the bowl.

The rim 15 at the top of the bowl is of hollow construction, the interior of the rim forming a channel 16 which at the rear portion of the bowl is connected to a chamber 17. A plurality of vertical ducts 18 lead from the bottom of the channel into the interior 12 of the bowl. The ducts serve as means for release of a volume of water from the tank into the bowl, the water being intended to fill the bowl, including the trap, to the level of the top of said upright wall 20 over which the water will spill into said waste drain 14.

Opening from the interior of the bowl, at its rear portion but above the level of water, which is marked 19, is an outlet which leads into a compartment 22 located directly below chamber 17 and which is separated therefrom by a horizontal partition 23.

Mounted upon the rear portion of the bowl is a flush tank 24 which contains the usual valve and lever control means for release of a volume of water from the tank through a discharge tube 25 into the chamber 17 for the purpose of flushing the toilet bowl. As said means form ice no part of the present invention, they are not shown in the drawings.

Located within the tank is a vertical pipe 26 connected to a water supply system, such as a water supply system of a respective municipality. At the top the pipe 26 is provided with a valve for release of water into the tank to a level ordinarily controlled by a valve actuated by a floating hollow ball. A fragment of the valve, which is no part of the present invention, is marked 27.

For the purpose of this invention, the applicant uses a short pipe 28 which by intermediate means is connected to said pipe 26 and which, at the top, is provided with a separate valve 29. Extending from the body or the housing of the valve is an upright arm 30, and fulcrumed within its upper end is a lever 31. One arm of the lever is connected to a vertical pin 32a which at its lower end is provided with means to keep said valve 29 closed, the closed condition of the valve being its normal condition. The opposite arm of the lever is weighted down by a solid ball 32, and terminates with a loop 33. The loop embraces a link 34 which at its upper end is hooked to an eye 35 of a crank 36. The crank includes a horizontal shank 37 which is axially disposed in a bushing 38 in the wall 24a of the tank 24. The opposite end of the shank terminates with a handle 39 on the outer side of the wall 24a, as shown in Fig. l.

The valve 29 is connected to a vacuum control device 40 which is of a well known construction and which permits flow of water only in one direction, namely, from the water supply system, and through said device to a pipe 41. The latter passes through an aperture in the rear wall 24b of the tank 24 and leads into a vertical cylinder 42. The cylinder is fitted into a circular aperture in the bottom of the tank 24, a part of the cylinder being disposed within the tank, while the lower portion thereof is disposed below said tank to one side of the rear portion of the bowl 10.

The cylinder is closed at the top, as shown at 43, while the lower rim of its wall is bent inwardly for a watertight connection with a vertical portion 44 of an L-shaped tubular member generally marked 45, said vertical portion being axially disposed within said cylinder in a spaced relation to the inner surface of its wall. A horizontal portion 46 of said L-shaped member opens into the waste drain 14 within the rear portion of the bowl 10.

At the top, the vertical portion 44 of the L-shaped member is closed by a cap 47 which, as shown in the drawings, may be an integral part of said member 45. The cap includes a centrally-located plug 48 which is threaded into an aperture 49 in said cap and which contains an orifice 50 opening into the interior of said member 45. The wall of said member 45, below the cap, is cut out to provide large air intake ports 51. Disposed within said member 45 below the level of said intake ports is a Venturi tube 53 having a constricted throat 54 opening into the lower portion of said member 45.

The pipe 41, which has already been named herein, enters said tubular member 45 at 55, extends upwardly, and passes through the cap 47 opening into a restricted space 56 above said cap. Fitting over the vertical portion 44 of member 45 from above is a movable cylindrical cup 58. The cup is closed at the top and is provided at its lower end with an inwardly-turned rim 59 which normally rests on an annular prop 60 at the junction of said member 45 with the cylinder 42. As best shown in Fig. 1, said cylinder 42 is connected to the compartment 22 within the rear portion of the bowl 10 by means of a short pipe 61, the pipe serving as a duct for passage of air from the bowl into said cylinder 42.

In order to describe the operation of my device, it will be assumed that the valve 29 at the top of the watersupply pipe 26 is closed and that the cylindrical cup 58 Patented Dec. 24, 1957.

3 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the top wall of said cup 58 being right above the cap 47 on the tubular member 45. To set the device operating, all that needs to be done is to turn the handle 39 clockwise in an arc of 180 degrees to a position shown in dotted lines 39a as shown in Fig. 3.- As a result thereof, the crank 36 will be brought to a vertical position over the axis of the shank, as shown in Fig. 4, this serving to raise the Weighted lever 31 and to open said valve 29. On opening of the valve, water, under pressure, will enter pipe 41 and will be discharged from the open end 41a of the pipe into the space 56 under the top wall of the cup 58. As the cup is movable, it will be raised by the inflow of water to a distance where the rim 59 of the cup will come to engage the rim of the cap 47. This raised position of the cup is shown in dotted lines 58a.

It will be noted that when thusraised the cap will expose the intake ports 51 which will be directly in line with the interior of the short ventilating pipe 61. It will also be noted that the space normally occupied by the lower portion of the cup is filled with water, as shown at 64, the water serving as a seal against passage of gases from the waste drain 14 into the bowl. This pertains to the condition when the cup 58 is in its lowermost position when its rim portion 59 rests on the annular prop 60 within the lower end of the cylinder 42. Otherwise foul gases from the drain 14 would pass into the L-shaped member 45, pass through the Venturi tube upwardly, out through the ports 51, then downwardly towards the rimportion 59 of the cup, where the gases would leak between said rim portion 59 and the prop 60 upwardly into the compartment 22 and into the interior of the bowl 10.

It will be understood that when the cup 58 is in its raised position, and water in a jet is released into and through the Venturi tube towards the drain 14, the movement of air will be in the direction of the drain, preventing any gases from the drain reaching the bowl 10.

Following the raising of the cup, water filling said cup will be discharged through the orifice 50 in the form of a jet which will generate a current of air downwardly. The current, by convection, will draw air from the interior of the bowl through the compartment 22 and through the ventilating pipe 61, and will draw it into the waste drain 14. This will continue as long as the handle 39 will be left in the position 3% as shown in Fig. 3, which said position is parallel to handle 62 which serves as a means for flushing the bowl 10.

As the handle 62 is depressed to flush said bowl, it will also depress handle 39, tilting said crank 36 from its upright position, shown in Fig. 4, and permitting the crank to be swung downwardly by the ball 32 to the initial position shown in Fig. 1, As a result, the lever 31, weighted by the ball, will close said valve 29, thus shutting off the inflow of water into the cup 58. When this happens, the cup will settle down by gravity, returning to its initial position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that some changes may be made in the structure of my device Without departing beyond the inventive concept disclosed herein.

What I, therefore, wish to claim is as follows:

I. In a water closet including a water tank and a bowl provided with an outlet for foul air, a vertical cylinder closed at the top and connected by a lateral duct to said outlet, a tubular member having an upper portion axially disposed in the lower portion of the cylinder in a spaced relation to its wall, the tubular member being closed at the top but provided with an orifice opening downwardly and having inlet ports opposite said duct, the lower rim of the cylinder being turned inwardly for a water-tight connection with the wall of the tubular member below said ports, an inverted movable cup fitting loosely over the upper end of the tubular member, the wall of the cup normally blocking said ports, a pipe connected to a source of supply of water under pressure, the pipe extending into the cylinder from below and terminating within the cup above the closed top of the tubular member, and valve means within the pipe for admission of water through said pipe to said cup for the purpose of raising said cup to expose said ports.

2. In a water closet including a bowl provided with an outlet for foul air, a vertical cylinder closed at the top and being connected midway its length with said outlet, a tubular member extending from below into said cylinder to a level above said outlet, the member being closed at the top but having in said top an orifice opening into the interior of said member and having inlet ports below said top in register with said outlet, said tubular member being disposed axially within said cylinder in a spaced relation to the wall thereof but being joined in a water-tight manner to the lower rim of the cylinder, the lower end of the tubular member leading to a waste drain for the contents of the bowl, a movable inverted cup fitting loosely over the upper end of the tubular member, the wall of the cup normally blocking said ports, a pipe connected to a source of supply of water under pressure, the pipe extending into the cylinder from below and terminating within the cup above the closed top of the tubular member, and valve means within the pipe for admission of water through said pipe to said cup for the purpose of raising said cap to expose said ports.

3. In a water closet including a bowl provided with an outlet for foul air, a vertical cylinder closed at top and being connected midway its length with said outlet, a tubular member extending from below into said cylinder to a level above said outlet, the member being closed at the top but having in said top an orifice opening into the interior of said member and having inlet ports below said top in register with said outlet, a Venturi element disposed within the tubular member below said inlet ports, said tubular member being disposed axially within said cylinder in a spaced relation to the wall thereof, but being joined in a water-tight manner to the lower rim of the cylinder, the lower end of the tubular member leading to a waste drain for the contents of the bowl, an inverted movable cup fitting loosely over the upper end of the tubular member, the wall of the cup normally blocking said ports, a pipe connected to a source of supply of water under pressure, the pipe extending into the cylinder from below and terminating within the cup above the closed top of the tubular member, and valve means within the pipe for admission of water through said pipe to said cup for the purpose of raising said cup to expose said ports.

4. In a water closet including a water tank and a bowl provided within its upper portion with an outlet for foul air, a vertical cylinder closed at the top, the cylinder being disposed within the tank but having a lower portion extending through thebottom of the tank, said lower portion being connected by a lateral duct to said outlet, a tubular member disposed axially within the cylinder in a spaced relation to its wall, the lower end of the cylinder being turned inwardly for a water-tight contact with the wall of said tubular member at a level below said duct, the space between thewall of the cylinder and the wall of the tubular member below said duct being adapted to be filled with water, said tubular member having a closed top but being provided with a restricted orifice therein and with inlet port means in its wall opposite said duct, an inverted movable cup fitting over the upper end of the tubular member, the wall of the cup normally blocking the port means, the lower portion of the cup being immersed in said water, a pipe connected to a source of supply of water under pressure, the pipe extending into the cylinder from below and terminating, within the cup above the closed top of the tubular member, and valve means within the pipe for admission of water through said pipe to said cup for the purpose of raising said cup to expose said port means.

5. In a water closet including a water tank and a bowl provided within its upper portion with an outlet for foul air, a vertical'cylinder closed at the top, the cylinder being disposed within the tank but having a lower portion extending through the bottom of the tank, said lower portion being connected by a lateral duct to said outlet, a tubular member disposed axially within the cylinder in a spaced relation to its wall, the lower end of the cylinder being turned inwardly for a water-tight contact with the Wall of said tubular member at a level below said duct, the space between the wall of the cylinder and the wall of the tubular member below said duct being adapted to be filled with water, said tubular member having a closed top but being provided with a restricted orifice therein and with inlet port means in its wall opposite said duct, a venturi element disposed within the tubular member below said inlet ports, an inverted movable cup fitting over the upper end of the tubular member, the wall of the cup normally blocking the port means, the lower portion of the cup being immersed in said water, a pipe connected to a source of supply of Water under pressure, the pipe extending into the cylinder from below and terminating within the cup above the closed top of the tubular member, and valve means within the pipe for admission of water through said pipe to said cup for the purpose of 10 raising said cup to expose said port means.

No references cited. 

